Study Says 'Positive Epidemics' Exist, Spread Faster Than Negative Ones

We usually associate the term epidemic with disease, but researchers have found that there are "positive epidemics" such as good viruses, technological and language epidemics. Positive epidemics also spread faster, according to the results of a study from the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico. 

Postive Epidemics

Upworthy.com reported that some examples of positive epidemics are the spread of good viruses, which protect their hosts and the spread of agricultural technology among humans. It noted that positive epidemics, called "benes" in the study, "are capable of affecting a lot more hosts than a negative epidemic can and in a much shorter amount of time too."

"We conclude that the dynamics of beneficial biological and social epidemics are characterized by the remarkably rapid spread of beneficial elements," the researchers said in their study entitled, "Dynamics of beneficial epidemics." According to the researchers, the spread of good biological epidemics is facilitated by horizontal transmission while good social epidemics are passed on by active spreading strategies by the individuals involved.

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What Are Epidemics?

The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control defines the word epidemic as a rise, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease beyond what is normally expected in a population in a community. On the other hand, upworthy.com presented a more general definition, referring to the word epidemic as something that spreads really quickly. 

The Santa Fe Institute researchers were quite specific in their definition of epidemic. They said epidemic processes "describe the spread of contagious elements such as innovations, viruses/infections, socio-political movements, and linguistic variants of words."

What do you think about positive epidemics? Write your comments below.